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helped . Many Austrians who would never have known of the moles–
tation felt they had to react: the community received loads of letters
expressing dismay and disgust by those who dissociated themselves
from their fellow citizens.
United States Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder, who came in
April 1986 and left his post last October, turned out to be of great
moral and monetary support to the community. The son of the
founder of the Estee Lauder cosmetic company, he came at a deli–
cate time.
Ku~t
Waldheim had just been inaugurated as president,
and Lauder's strong Jewish feelings were a great obstacle to his
reception by the media. Nevertheless , he could not be discouraged
from waging war against historical amnesia. Conscious of the fragil–
ity of the Jewish communities in Europe and the need to address
their special concerns, he took up the question of Austrian Jewry
with the government and obtained its willing cooperation in pro–
moting a program addressing the issues of anti-Semitism and the
welfare of the Jewish community .
Through his personal inspiration and philanthropic commit–
ment, Lauder helped fund a school for children of the Habad move–
ment, made up mainly of Russian Jews , and he is now engaged in
establishing a religious and cultural center for their parents. He has
facilitated contacts and communication between private American
organizations and the Austrian government on human rights issues
and on questions ofJewish concern . Lauder has not confined himself
to Austrian Jewry. A great lover and sponsor of art, he has worked
with the Hungarian government and contributed lavishly to the
restoration of one of Budapest's great synagogues . In addition he has
initiated a program to assist the small and largely destitute remnants
of the small Jewish community of Cracow.
The Vienna Foundation established by Lauder will provide
scholarships to encourage Austrian-American high school exchanges,
bringing groups of students to each other's homes . He also estab–
lished a youth program in cooperation with B'nai B'rith to address
special problems of European-Jewish youth . "The Foundation will
be dedicated to helping the minorities of Europe to meet today's
needs - but will also go beyond in promoting their growth and their
future . My intention is an assault on prejudice through information
and cultural activities . I want to fight popular ignorance and amne–
sia which is still the basis for so much hate," says Lauder.
The incisive realizations of the past eighteen months have led
to the conclusion that if you want to go on living as aJew in Austria,
